The Miami Dolphins had their playoff hopes punched in the gut on Sunday, losing in embarrassing fashion. So, for the time being, we’re putting the kibosh on all Dolphins playoff talk. Right now, this Dolphins’ team does not look like anything that resembles a playoff team. That can change with a win over the Bills on Thursday night, but until then, the playoff talk is over.

Right now, this is a one team race in the AFC East, the Patriots are most likely going to win this division. Since all 4 teams were tied at 3-3, the Patriots have gone 3-0, while the Dolphins have gone 1-2, and the Jets and Bills have each gone 0-3. The Patriots are playing well and the rest of the division has fallen to the roadside.

New England Patriots (6-3 overall, 3-0 division)

The Patriots did what the Patriots do and that is win. Last week, the Patriots got the Bills ‘A’ game, but still managed to pick up the victory and improve their division record to 3-0. The Patriots are on cruise control and it’s unlikely that any team in the AFC East is going to make them sweat down the stretch. The only team that could, potentially, is the Dolphins whom they play twice. But again, the Dolphins aren’t scaring anyone right now. This weekend, the Patriots welcome in Andrew Luck and the Colts (6-3). This should be a great matchup between Luck and Brady (future versus past/present).

Miami Dolphins (4-5 overall, 1-1 division)

The Dolphins played like crap on Sunday. They know it. We know it. The world knows it. The Dolphins are on a short week, so they’ll have to have a short memory and put that game behind them. The short week means that there is less time to correct mistakes. But it also means there’s less time to dwell on a pitiful performance. The Dolphins have gotten back to basics this week in practice, focusing on fundamentals. We hope it shows up on Thursday night in Buffalo. The game will be the first one that Ryan Tannehill plays in prime time. We think he’ll rebound from his rookie-like performance on Sunday and play well on Thursday night.

Picking up a win on Thursday night is important for many reasons. First, Chris Clemons called the game a ‘must win’ (but aren’t they all?). Second, a win would allow the Dolphins to get back on track before heading home. Third, a win and the positive vibes return to the Dolphins for 10 days as they prepare to take on a Seahawks team that is playing very well. We’re interested to see how this young team rebounds from the humiliating loss to the Titans on Sunday. It’s games like the one on Thursday night that show you what these guys are made of. (cont’d on page 2, click below)